Separation or batching of substantially flat sheets of material continuously emerging from a machine



J. E. ROE 2,852,990 SEPARATION OR BATCHING 0F SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT SHEETS OF Sept. 23, 1958 MATERIAL CONTINUOUSLY EMERGING FROM A MACHINE Filed May 24, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 8 VQUE \gsg: A \L wwl Inventor Sept. 23, 1958 J. E. ROE 2,852,990

SEPARATION OR BATCHING OF SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT SHEETS OF MATERIAL CONTINUOUSLY EMERGING FROM A MACHINE Filed May 24. 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Sept. 23, 1958 ROE 2,852,990

SEPARATION OR BATCHING OF SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT SHEETS OF MATERIAL CONTINUOUSLY EMERGING FROM A MACHINE Filed May 24, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet Z5 Inventor 54 W @e y a Attorney p 23, 1958 J. E. ROE 2,852,990

SEPARATION OR BATCHING OF SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT SHEETS OF MATERIAL CONTINUOUSLY EMERGING FROM A MACHINE Filed May 24, 1955 i 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inventor widow/4y a Home;

Sept. 23, 1958 J. E. ROE SEPARATION OR BATCHING OF SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT SHEETS OF MATERIAL CONTINUOUSLY EMERGING FROM A MACHINE Filed May 24, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet .5

Attorn y J. E. ROE

Sept. 23, 1958 2,852,990- FLAT SHEETS 0F SEPARATION OR BATCHLNG OF SUBSTANTIALLY MATERIAL CONTINUOUSLY EMERGING FROM A MACHINE Filed May 24, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Inventor em Lam/d, 2 A, v

Attorney 7 United States Patent Ofitice 2,852,990 Patented Sept. 23, 1958 SEPARATION R BATCHING OF SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT SHEETS OF MATERIAL CONTINUOUSLY EMERGING FROM A MACHINE John Edward Roe, Winchmore Hill, London, England,

assignor of one-half to St. Clements Press Limited, London, England, a British company Application May 24, 1955, Serial No. 510,822

4 Claims. (Cl. 93-93) The invention concerns apparatus for delivering sheets, newspapers or the like in counted batches, such as a batch of newspapers delivered from a rotaryprinting machine.

The existing practice for the handling of printed copy, continuously emerging from a rotary printing machine, is for the copy to be conveyed by a spring band conveyor to a handling or collecting point where it is grouped into quires, of 26 or 27 copies, and stacked or passed to a disposal point. The printing machine generally indicates the groups by causing the first or last copy to protrude slightly from the succeeding or preceding copies. During conveyance the group marking copy often becomes displaced, and lies practically in line with the other copies of the group, causing difliculties in disposal and resulting in time losses with a consequent reduction in the printing speed, reducing the normal output of the machine to as much as one half.

An object of the present invention is to provide a fully automatic separating and delivery apparatus whereby groups of printed copy, each of a predetermined quantity are squared up and delivered to a removal point, at a speed coinciding with the maximum output speed of the machine.

A further object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for separating into counted batches, sheets, newspapers or the like emerging from a machine, which includes a continuously moving sheet conveyor driven by the machine, a batch detector means interposed in the conveying path prior to a temporarily stationary interrupting device adapted temporarily to receive a predetermined quantity of sheets, the interrupting device being connected to a gear train including two co-operating gears which have no relative engaging means over a part of their circumference and being connected to one side of a clutch operable by the detector means, the other side of the clutch being connected to the machine.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent in the following detailed description, the present invention will be clearly understood in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a side view of the stacking section;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the chain drives to the various conveying and stacking devices;

Fig. 3 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation in the direction of the arrow IV in Figs. 2 and 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section through the gear box;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged side view of responding to Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a detail of the paddle assembly;

Fig. 8 is a plan detail of a modified group detecting device;

Fig. 9 is a side view of a group detecting device shown in Fig. 8; and

Fig. 10 is a circuit diagram showing the wiring of the the gear box, cormachine.

vided after the delivery conveyor from a printing press of the rotary type, is positioned after an electronic counting mechanism, a papers-flow interrupter also being provided. A general view of these parts is shown in Fig. 1.

Roller 11a drives a secondary roller 11b, which roller is adjustable in height, by means of spring'bands the upper runs of which carry the stream of copy issuing from a conventional conveyor generally designated C and shown in chain dotted lines (Fig. 1). In vertical alignment with roller 11a mounted on shaft 11, there is provided a roller 12a mounted on shaft 12, which drives a roller 12b located above the upper runs of conveyor bands 110, by means of spring bands 12c, the roller 12b assists to guide and space the copies.

Paddles P and P are mounted on shaft 21 apart. Below the operating paddle P in Fig. 1, there is a pair of copy receiving arms 13a, displaceable about a pivot 13 by means of downwardly extending cranked arms 1312 connected thereto, which arms 13b are moveable by means of a striker 14 provided on the shaft of roller 15a. The copy receiving arms 13a rest, in their lowermost downwardly inclined position, on abutments 16, whereby they are below the level of free running wheels 17.

Shafts 19a, 19b, and carry sprocket wheels 18a, 18b and 18!: respectively, 18a and 180 being loosely mounted on their shafts, the sprocket wheel 18b driving a chain 18d which passes over these three sprocket wheels. Soldier members 182 are secured at spaced. intervals on the chain 18d. Sprocket wheels 23b (Fig. 2), by way of chain 230 and sprocket wheel 23a, drives a roller 15a, and a conveyor 150 which latter is formed of spring bands which pass over a spaced series of pulley wheels 15b mounted on shaft 190.

The stacking device is continuously driven from the conveyor C by means of a chain drive (not shown) to a shaft 11 may be varied thus altering the spacing of the copies as they approach roller 11b. The drive is taken from sprocket wheel 26a on shaft 11 by a chain 25 to a sprocket wheel 26b, the drive then being taken from a sprocket wheel 28, disposed on the driven side of a clutch 27, by way of a chain 29 to a gear 30 located in gear box 31. The roller 12a is driven in timed relationship with roller 11a by means of co-operating gear wheels 32 and 33 mounted on shafts 11 and 12 respectively, in housing 34.

A chain 360, driven by sprocket wheel 36a mounted on shaft 11, drives sprocket wheel 36b mounted on shaft 19a, whereby a series of pulleys 35a, alsomounted on this shaft, is continuously driven. The pulleys 35a continuously drive roller 35b by means of spring band conveyor 350.

The operational sequence of the machine is controlled from gear box 31. Gear wheel 30 mounted on shaft 30a (Fig. 5) is continuously driven by the chain 29 from the sprocket wheel 26a, mounted on shaft 11, as previously described. A gear wheel 37, mounted on shaft 30a, cooperates with a further gear wheel 38 mounted on shaft 382. The co-operating gear wheels 37' and 38 form an interrupting drive to the paddle shaft 21.

The gear wheel 37 has teeth 37a round approximately half its periphery, the other portion thereof being smooth as shown at 37b, grooves 370 and 37d being provided at the beginning and end of the smooth surface 37b. Gear wheel 38 has a projecting portion 38a, the limiting points of which 380 and 38d engage in the grooves 370 and 37d respectively to commence and discontinue the interruption of the drive to the paddle shaft 21. The interruption of the drive to the paddle shaft occurs when surface 38b slides on the smooth surface 37b. The teeth of a second gear wheel 39, mounted on the shaft 38c, engage with the teeth of gear wheel 40, mounted on shaft 40a, which in turn engage with the teeth of gear wheel 21a thereby driving the shaft 21 of the paddles P and P Two chain drive sprocket wheels 41a and 23b are mounted on an extension 23 of. the shaft 40a, the sprocket wheel 41a driving, by way of a chain 41c, and sprocket wheel 41b, theshaft 191) which drives the chain 18d on which the soldier members 182 are mounted. The sprocket wheel 23b drives the conveyor 150 as previously described.

In operation the stacking section is continuously driven as previously, described, from the conveyor C and a stream of copy is fed along the path indicated by arrows A (Fig. 1). The copy passes between the rollers 11a and 12a on to bands 11c, beneath the roller 12b over roller 11b on to the paddle P held in the position shown during the interruption period of the gears 37 and 38. When a number of copies (about 8), determined by the interrupt ion period, has been received on the operative paddle P the paddles revolve in the direction indicated by the arrow D and the copies are lowered on to the retaining arms 13a which, by means of the cranked arm 13b being held by the striker 14 are in the position shown in chain dotted lines. The paddles are disposed about the paddle shaft 21 such that, upon rotation of the shaft 21, there is a horizontal movement of the operative paddle from the oncoming copies; the peripheral speed of the paddles is adapted to be greater than the speed of the approaching copies. After the paddles have moved through approximately 90, the striker 14 is moved out of engagement, with the cranked arms 13b, in the direction shown by the arrow (Fig. 1) permitting the lowering of arms 13a on to abutments 16, to the position shown in full lines. The copies are thus lowered on to the free running wheels 17 and fall on to conveyor bands c driven, as previously described, in timed relationship with the paddles P and P The copies abut one of the soldier members 182 and build up into a squared pile and are prevented from lateral displacement by means of a pair of dished wheels 20 secured at either end of shaft 19a. On further movement of the conveyor band 150, the soldier member 18e, against which the copies abut, moves to a position which is below the level of conveyor bands c whereby the grouped copies are transferred to these conveyor bands 35c and conveyed to a disposal point.

As the stream of copies is building up on the bands 150 the paddles revolve until paddle P reaches the position Px shown in chain dotted lines, when rotation there- 'of is temporarily discontinued; the purpose of this discontinuation is to allow sufiicient time for the copies that are passing under or below this paddle P to clear the adjustable roller 11b before this paddle reaches the interrupting position. This discontinuation is effected by a switch 42 provided with an arm 42a actuated by a peg 300, which switch is located on the gear box casing. The switch 42 breaks the electrical circuit to the magnetic clutch 27 when the arm 42a is actuated by the peg 300 on the gear 30 whereby the drive to the gearbox is inter- I rupted. The paddle P is held in the position Px until a counting device 43, which may be of the stylus type, having a feeler arm 43a which rests on the stream of copies, indicates that the required number of copies for one pack has passed therebeneath on to the conveyor bands 15c whereupon the counting device 43 automatically closes the circuit and the magnetic clutch 27 is re engaged as will be described hereunder. The paddles are rotated until the paddle P is in the position to receive the first copies of the oncoming stream, paddle P being kept in this position during the interruption period of the gears 37 and 38.

Pressure air, fed to the machine by pipe line 44 provided with a stop tap 45, is led by piping 44a to a rotary valve 46 on the paddle shaft 21 and from thence to the tips of the paddles P and P by piping 4411. Air jets, operated by a cam and needle valve (not shown), are

4 provided to assist the movement of copies over wheels 17 and their fall into a stack against one of the soldier members 18c these air jets only being operative when copies are passing. For this stacking operation the air is led to nozzles 47 by piping 440 (Fig. 3) provided with a control valve 48 operated by a cam 21]) (Fig. 6) located on the paddle shaft 21.

When either of the paddles P or P reaches the operative position for receiving copy, the valve 46 opens thereby causing a blast of air to issue from the end of the piping 44/), lifting the first copy slightly for its correct positioning on the paddle.

Two pulleys 51a (Figs. 1 and 4) are fixed on shaft 21 and when the paddles move they drive, by way of spring wires 49, pulleys 51 which are fixed to pulleys 52, these pulleys being mounted on free running shaft 5112. A guide wire St) is arranged over each set of pulleys 52, 52a, which latter are mounted on free running shafts 52b. A light steel rod 22, one end of which is connected to shaft 52b, is provided for guiding the copies to the collecting position on the conveyor 15c. As the paddle moves out of the interrupting position, the moving spring wires 50 ensure that the folded parts of the first copies of the count fall squarely and evenly on to the conveyor 150.

An alternative means for grouping the copies is shown in Figs. 8 and 9 and is fitted instead of, or in addition to, the stylus counting device 43. When this alternative grouping device is used, a kick copy K (Fig. 8), i. e. the 26th or 27th copy as required, this being the last copy of the quire, is drawn slantwise relative to the other copies emerging from the printing machine. The kick copy K strikes a feeler arm 53 which in turn moves an arm 54a of a switch 54 thereby closing the electrical circuit operating the magnetic clutch 27. The wiring of the stacking section is shown in the circuit diagram Fig. 10 and includes a power source 55, the positive side of which is connected to a three-way selection switch 56 which, when in the downward position shown, short circuits all the automatic switches and holds the magnetic clutch 27 in the constant operative position. When switch 56 is in the horizontal position the stylus counting device 43 and cam-operated switch 42 are connected in the circuit. If the stylus counting device 43 fails, then the kick copy actuated switch 54 can be brought into operation by moving the selection switch to its third position; if the device on the printing machine for displacing a copy slantwise is not being used it is necessary to bring it into operation.

The stylus counting device 43 is connected to an electronic counter batcher which can be set to any predetermined number of counts and when that count is reached it causes a relay to operate which in turn closes contacts in the clutch circuit. These contacts close the circuit from the switch 56 to the switch 42 and allow the clutch 27 to re-engage. The relay circuit (not shown) is broken by a further switch before the next batch of copies is complete. When the magnetic clutch is energised the circuit is maintained by a relay in the control box and can only be broken by the switch 42 operated by the arm 42a.

The number of pages of a newspaper vary and with this the thickness of copy also varies. To allow for this variation the position of roller 11b can be adjusted vertically. This adjustment is eifected by means of a hand wheel 57 provided with a pair of worm gears 58 co-operating with gears 59 secured at the upper ends of a pair of vertical shafts 60. The lower ends of these vertical shafts are screw'threaded and held in bearing blocks 61 of roller 11b. On rotation of the handwheel, shafts 60 are turned by co-operating gears 58 and 59 to raise or lower roller 1112 depending on the direction of rotation of the handwheel.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for separating into counted batches,

sheets, newspapers or the like emerging from a printing machine, said apparatus comprising in combination a continuously moving conveyor adapted to bring forward a continuous stream of copies in overlapping sequence, a first driven shaft operating said conveyor, a second driven shaft disposed crosswise to and on the path of said conveyor, a temporarily stationary interrupting device comprising a pair of paddles disposed 180 apart adapted temporarily to receive a predetermined quantity of said sheets and rotatably mounted on said shaft, a batch detector means interposed in the path of said conveyor prior to said interrupting devices, a gear train including two cooperating gears operative over a predetermined part of their circumference connected to said first shaft, and a clutch disposed in and disconnecting said gear train operable by said batch detector means, one side of said clutch being connected to said two cooperating gears and the other side of said clutch being connected to said first driven shaft.

2. An apparatus for separating into counted batches, sheets, newspapers or the like emerging from a printing machine, said apparatus comprising in combination a continuously moving conveyor adapted to bring forward a continuous stream of copies in overlapping sequence, a first driven shaft operating said conveyor, a second driven shaft disposed crosswise to and on the path of said conveyor, a temporarily stationary interrupting device adapted temporarily to receive a predetermined quantity of said sheets and rotatably mounted on said shaft, a batch detector means interposed in the path of said conveyor prior to said interrupting device, a gear train including two cooperating gears operative over a predetermined part of their circumference connected to said interrupting device and a magnetic clutch disposed in and disconnecting said gear train, operable by said batch detector means, one side of said clutch being connected to said two cooperating gears and the other side of said clutch being connected to said first drive shaft, one of said cooperating gears being provided with an abutment means causing operation of a switch connected in an electrical circuit with said clutch and said batch detector means, breaking of the circuit by said switch effecting discontinuation of the drive to said gear train by opening of said magnetic clutch.

3. An apparatus for separating into counted batches, sheets, newspapers or the like emerging from a printing machine, said apparatus comprising in combination a continuously moving conveyor adapted to bring forward a continuous stream of copies in overlapping sequence, a first driven shaft operating said conveyor, a second driven shaft disposed crosswise to and on the path of said conveyor, a temporarily stationary interrupting device adapted temporarily to receive a predetermined quantity of said sheets and rotatably mounted on said shaft, a batch detector means interposed in the path of said conveyor prior to said interrupting device, a gear train including two cooperating gears operative over a predetermined part of their circumference connected to said interrupting device and a clutch disposed in and disconnecting said gear train operable by said batch detector means, one side of said clutch being connected to said two cooperating gears and the other side of said clutch being connected to said first driven shaft, and means for feeding pressure air from below said interrupting device, upon turning the latter into sheet receiving position.

4. An apparatus for separating into counted batches, sheets, newspapers or the like emerging from a printing machine, said apparatus comprising in combination a continuously moving conveyor adapted to bring forward a continuous stream of copies in overlapping sequence, a first driven shaft operating said conveyor, a second driven shaft disposed crosswise to and on the path of said conveyor, a temporarily stationary interrupting device adapted temporarily to receive a predetermined quantity of said sheets, and rotatably mounted on said shaft, a batch detector means interposed in the path of said conveyor prior to said interrupting device, a gear train including two cooperating gears operative over a predetermined part of their circumference connected to said interrupting device, a clutch disposed in and disconnecting said gear train operable by said batch detector means, one side of said clutch being connected to said two cooperating gears and the other side of said clutch being connected to said first driven shaft, a temporarily stationary abutment means arranged at a catching point against which said batch is adapted to be assembled, stacked and squared up, a further conveyor, a means adapted to effect transfer of the batch to said further conveyor and pressure air jets, positioned prior to said catching point, being trained on to the sheets moving from said batch detector means towards said abutment means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,569,032 Reichel Jan. 12, 1926 1,569,033 Reichel Jan. 12, 1926 2,094,938 Blatzheim Oct. 5, 1937 2,414,059 Powers Jan. 7, 1947 

